Friday, June 01, 2012

For the steamy month of June, the Westchase Artists Society's Artist of the Month is a wonderful artist named Rena Charles. Rena has added a spark of enthusiasm to our group and she's so much fun to be around. We're lucky to have her in our ranks. So, without further delay, here's Rena's interview.

Question: Tell us a little bit about yourself.Rena: I received my B.A. in Art History and minored in Environmental Studies and Visual Arts from Emory University. Since then I've worked 9 years in the art industry here in Tampa. I am fortunate to be the Directory of Gallery Relations for a nationally known pop artist based right here. I love to travel, snowboard, watch football and golf, and dance and laugh with my friends. For every city that I've traveled, there's an accompanying museum or gallery district that I've also visited. Isn't it fascinating how people create so differently? That's why I fell in love with Art History, it never felt like studying.

Question: What first made you want to become an artist?Rena: I simply enjoy painting. I see a vision in my head, or I am inspired by nature. Transposing that vision onto canvas or mat board or wood is refreshing, almost therapeutic. It's even more thrilling when someone wants to own what I've created.

Question: Describe your creative process.Rena: My doggy, Bernie, curled next to me. A glass of wine doesn't hurt. I've usually sketched out what I want to paint and the color scheme is in my head. A lot of happy accidents happen along the way. I stop when the canvas makes me smile. I've sort of nestled myself into a tree theme. Trees have their own personalities and moods, all affected by the time of day, the time of year and the individual tree's characteristics. I like to refer to my paintings as expressionistic tree portraits.

Question: Favorite books, movies, website, groups...Rena: I love to read sci-fi novels and watch sci-fi/action films. I regularly watch Anime and probably spend a bit too much time on Reddit.

Question: In ten years, I'd like to be...Rena: In ten years, I'd like to have shared my work with a wider audience, snowboard down a double black diamond, get that 2nd tattoo I've been putting off, and still be chasing the next adventure!

Wonderful interview!! Thanks Rena for taking the time to answer our questions. Stay tuned for next month's Artist of the Month.